RHS football to kick off first varsity year Sept. 9

By: Sean Moylan
   While the first-year Robbinsville High School boys’ varsity football team may lack the on-the-field playing experience necessary to challenge for any titles this year, head coach Jason Gray has already instilled a team attitude which is conducive to winning.
   "Our goal is we want to empty the pail (every game)," said Gray. "We want to leave everything out there on the field."
   Many of the athletes coming into the Robbinsville football program are committed to winning and most have played football for years. Therefore, this is not your typical upstart football team. However, the team does have a difficult schedule so it may or may not take some time for Robbinsville to develop into a winner on the field.
   "They’re a wonderful group of young men, but obviously we’ll be everybody’s Homecoming game," joked Gray. "But we didn’t come here to lose. We live in the present so I tell the kids, there’s no time like the present."
   Because it’s a relatively new School, Robbinsville does not have a senior class. However, many of the juniors on the team did play junior varsity football for the Ravens last year.
   Joe Borzio (OL/DL), Anthony Brown (OL/LB), Jack Buram (WR/DE), Randall Collins (OL/LB), John Eckstein (OL/DL), Shae Fahey (WR/QB/DB), Tyler Fasanella (FL/DB), Brian Flynn (FL/DB), Matt Hill (QB/DB), Derick Hughes (P/K), Greg Hunter (OL/LB), Mark Magariello (WR/DB), Mark Pantes (RB/LB), Chris Richardson (WR/DB) and Matt Roeloffs (OL/DL) are the 11th graders who will lead the Ravens.
   Gray has also been impressed with the 10th graders on the team, which include the following players: Brian Alston (RB/LB), Carol Archer (WR/DB), Cody Birdsall (OL/LB), Joey Bruno (OL/DL), Kevin Burum (WR/DB), Aristo Cauwels (WR/LB), Jelani Fenton (FL/DE), Jeff Gerdes (WR/LB), Phil Harrison (OL/DL), Andrew Harvilla (OL/LB), Woong Bae Jeon (OL/DL), Desmond Kendall (FL/DL), Andrew Matyas (OL/DL), Mark Normandi (FL/LB), Matt Polito (OL/DL), Alex Redler (OL/DL), Steve Schaff (OL/DL), Ryan Strano (OL/DL), Barry Wood (WR/DB) and Zach Barby (TE/LB).
   Dan Zegas, Tim Lamberson, Zach Freidman and Andrew "A.T." Tomascesky are the team managers.
   Gray, who is the offensive coordinator, will go into battle with a solid staff of assistants. Sean Greig is the defensive coordinator and will work with the offensive line too. Richard Gildner will coach the wide receivers and the defensive backs. Michael Higgins is the offensive and defensive line coach. The freshmen head coach is Andrew Patterson and his assistants are Ed Birdsall and Tom Crilly.
   While all young teams need to get in extra reps in practices, the Raven players seem to pick up plays very quickly.
   "Our strength is we’re very cerebral. We have bright kids who are hard workers with good character," added Gray, who was a longtime defensive coordinator in the highly-competitive Jersey Shore Conference. This year the Ravens will play a multiple spread offense and a 4-3 defense.
   While Gray is not going to make any outrageous claims or predictions about his first-year unit, opposing teams had better not overlook the Ravens because they are going to come to play every game. Robbinsville will open up its regular season 1 p.m. September 9th at Hopewell Valley.